Mard o mard

Mard ō mard (Middle Persian; literally "man to man") was an ancient Iranian tradition of single combat, the Sasanian Empire being most known for using it. During a battle, the Sasanian troops would use taunts and war cries to provoke the enemy into a single duel with a Sasanian champion. The tradition meant much to the Sasanians—in 421, during Bahram V's war against the Romans in 421–422, Ardazanes, a member of the "Immortals", was in a single duel killed by the Roman comes Areobindus, which contributed to Bahram V's acceptance of the defeat in the war and making peace with the Romans.^[1][2]

The Sogdian "Kulagysh plate", depicting a heroic single combat scene leading to the death of both sides

In Sasanian art several mard o mard depictions are preserved in rock-reliefs in Naqsh-e Rostam and in a cameo of Shapur I and Valerian.^[3]

Single combats have been narrated in Shahnameh ("The Book of Kings") of Ferdowsi, a notable example being those of the story of Davazdah Rokh ("Twelve Combats").

In the Second Perso-Turkic War, the Sasanian commander Smbat IV Bagratuni possibly killed the Hephthalite leader in single combat.^[4]

References

1. Rawlinson, George. The Seven Great Monarchies of the Ancient Eastern World, Vol 7. (of 7): The Sassanian the History, Geography and Antiquities of Chaldaea, Assyria, Babylon, Media, Persia, Parthia and Sassanian or New Persian Empire. Library of Alexandria. pp. 442–443. ISBN 978-1-4655-0672-6.
2. Charles, Michael (1 January 2011). "The Sassanian immortals". Iranica Antiqua. 46: 289–313. doi:10.2143/IA.46.0.2084423.
3. "ARMY i. Pre-Islamic Iran – Encyclopaedia Iranica". www.iranicaonline.org. Retrieved 25 February 2020.
4. Garsoian, Nina (2005-07-20). "SMBAT BAGRATUNI". Encyclopaedia Iranica. Iranicaonline.org.

Sources

• Nicolle, David (1996), Sassanian Armies: the Iranian Empire Early 3rd to Mid-7th Centuries AD, Stockport: Montvert, ISBN 978-1-874101-08-6
• Shapur Shahbazi, A. (1986). "Army i. Pre-Islamic Iran". Encyclopaedia Iranica, Vol. II, Fasc. 5. London et al. pp. 489–499.{{cite encyclopedia}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)